Mother's Day Spending To Grow
Consumers are expected to spend more on gifts for the mothers in their lives this year as compared to 2024, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation, with flowers remaining the most popular present.
A survey of 7,948 U.S. adult consumers conducted March 31-April 7 by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics found that spending related to Mother’s Day is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year. The figure, if achieved, would top last year’s Mother’s Day spending of $33.5 billion, and is below the record spend of $35.7 billion two years ago.
“Mother's Day is an important holiday for many consumers, only surpassed by the winter holidays in terms of average spending,” said Katherine Cullen, vice president of Industry and Consumer Insights with the NRF. “Even in the face of economic uncertainty, consumers continue to celebrate the special women in their lives with gifts and outings.”
As with previous years, 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $259.04 on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations, about $5 more than they budgeted in 2024.
Most of those celebrating the holiday (57%) are shopping specifically for a mother or stepmother, followed by a wife (23%) or daughter (12%). The most popular gift categories remain flowers (74%), greeting cards (73%) and special outings such as dinner or brunch (61%).
Consumers will spend a total of $6.8 billion on jewelry, $6.3 billion on special outings and $3.5 billion on gift cards. Total spending on flowers is expected to reach $3.2 billion, while total spending on greeting cards is expected to reach $1.1 billion.
Consumers are also continuing to prioritize thoughtful gifts this holiday. Nearly half of consumers (48%) say finding a gift that’s unique or different is most important to them, followed by 42% who say finding a gift that creates a special memory is top of mind. Gifts of experience continue to be popular post-pandemic as 36% of men plan to gift experiences this year, up from 29% in 2019.
“Alongside traditional gifts like flowers or a card, gifts of experience are a way to create a special memory with mom,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of Strategy with Prosper Insights & Analytics. “Whether it’s tickets to a concert or movie, a wine tasting or simply a scenic hike and picnic, there are options to fit any budget.”
Online (36%) remains the top shopping destination this year, followed by department stores (32%), specialty stores (29%) and local or small businesses (25%).
